Hoffman & Swinburne Islands
These two islands came into being in 1872, when the Staten Islanders burned down the old Quarantine Hospital. (which is a whole other
story)
Hoffman and Swinburne are two small artificial islands in the Lower New York Bay, off South Beach, Staten Island. The smaller island, known as
Swinburne Island, lies immediately to the south of the larger. They were both created from Orchard Shoals by the addition of landfill in 1872.
Hoffman Island covers 11 acres, while Swinburne Island's area is about 4 acres. Hoffman was named for former New York City Mayor (1866–1868), and former New York Governor (1869–1871), John Thompson Hoffman.
Swinburne Island was originally called Dix Island, but was renamed in honor of Dr. John Swinburne, a noted military surgeon during the Civil War.
The two man-made islands, designated as quarantines for arriving immigrants, were created in the 1870’s. Detained passengers who were suspected of being exposed to contagious diseases were sent to Hoffman Island and detained for observation.
The passengers that were visibly sick or infected were hospitalized on Swinburne Island.
Swinburne Island housed a hospital dedicated to cholera and yellow fever cases, a crematory, and a mortuary. Here, patients were fumigated with sulfur, and those who passed away on the island went to either the mortuary or crematory, depending on the season as well as the preferences of their relatives or friends.
In the days of unlimited immigration, Hoffman Island would have 3000 people.
Those of the dead who are to be buried must be placed in metallic coffins, and if they die in the hot season their bodies go to the mortuary. Here they are placed in metallic boxes, and the latter sealed up until the weather becomes cooler. The mortuary lies just behind the crematory, in which latter place there stands a row of numbered brown earthenware jars containing the unclaimed ashes of some half a dozen of those who have been incinerated here.
Whoever died in Quarantine were buried at Sequine Point, and when the crematory upon Swinburne Island was finished, in 1889, the
remains of those buried at the cemetery were disinterred and incinerated on the spot, in a rude but effective furnace. Sequine Point was then abandoned by the Quarantine people.
story)
Hoffman and Swinburne are two small artificial islands in the Lower New York Bay, off South Beach, Staten Island. The smaller island, known as
Swinburne Island, lies immediately to the south of the larger. They were both created from Orchard Shoals by the addition of landfill in 1872.
Hoffman Island covers 11 acres, while Swinburne Island's area is about 4 acres. Hoffman was named for former New York City Mayor (1866–1868), and former New York Governor (1869–1871), John Thompson Hoffman.
Swinburne Island was originally called Dix Island, but was renamed in honor of Dr. John Swinburne, a noted military surgeon during the Civil War.
The two man-made islands, designated as quarantines for arriving immigrants, were created in the 1870’s. Detained passengers who were suspected of being exposed to contagious diseases were sent to Hoffman Island and detained for observation.
The passengers that were visibly sick or infected were hospitalized on Swinburne Island.
Swinburne Island housed a hospital dedicated to cholera and yellow fever cases, a crematory, and a mortuary. Here, patients were fumigated with sulfur, and those who passed away on the island went to either the mortuary or crematory, depending on the season as well as the preferences of their relatives or friends.
In the days of unlimited immigration, Hoffman Island would have 3000 people.
Those of the dead who are to be buried must be placed in metallic coffins, and if they die in the hot season their bodies go to the mortuary. Here they are placed in metallic boxes, and the latter sealed up until the weather becomes cooler. The mortuary lies just behind the crematory, in which latter place there stands a row of numbered brown earthenware jars containing the unclaimed ashes of some half a dozen of those who have been incinerated here.
Whoever died in Quarantine were buried at Sequine Point, and when the crematory upon Swinburne Island was finished, in 1889, the
remains of those buried at the cemetery were disinterred and incinerated on the spot, in a rude but effective furnace. Sequine Point was then abandoned by the Quarantine people.